Visiting President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Dr Ahmad Mohammad Ali on Monday said Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd is not involved in terror financing in any way. He came up with the claim at a press conference at the IDB Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon area to brief about the progress of the IDB’s Fael Khair programme of construction of 180 school-cum-cyclone shelters in the country’s coastal areas. “It’s absolutely wrong. You know well that it is ethical financing. So it’s absolutely not correct,” he said replying to a query if IDB, as leader of Islami Bank Bangladesh, thinks there is space for Islami Bank to have involvement in financing terrorism. Dr Mohammad Ali said the construction of some 180 cyclone shelters, including 24 schools-cum-cyclone shelters sponsored by the IDB will be completed by the end of the next year. The IDB president said construction of 24 school-cum-shelters has already been completed. A total of 180 shelters, in the 15 construction packages, will be built in 40 upazilas of 13 coastal districts under the Fael Khair Programme of the IDB at a cost of US$ 110 million, he added. He also inaugurated two newly-built school-cum-shelters — Channir Chak LC High School at Koyra upazila in Khulna and Rayenda Pilot High School in Sarankhola upazila in Bagerhat. “I’m very happy to be able to inaugurate the shelters,” he said. Besides, the IDB will provide US$ 20 million for urgent relief and rehabilitation in the form of agricultural and other inputs to the affected farmers, fishermen and small business holders. An anonymous philanthropist (Fael Khair in Arabic) provided the IDB US$ 130 million for providing assistance to the victims of the cyclone Sidr. The government of Bangladesh and the IDB signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2008 in this regard while a memorandum of cooperation in 2010 between the IDB and the Loca Government and Engineering Department (LGED), Bangladesh. Each school will have capacity of 500 students, which could be used as a shelter centre during any natural disaster. During the disaster, each school will be able to accommodate 2,000 farmers and 500 cattle. Coordinator of the Fael Khair Programme Dr Mohammad Salem and programme director Shufi Mostak Ahmed were present at the press conference. Meanwhile, the IDB President personally participated in the distribution of frozen meat of some 5,000 Hajj sacrificial animals among the poor and needy in the capital on Monday. Some 60,000 frozen sacrificial animals recently arrived at Chittagong Seaport. Earlier on Sunday, the IDB President met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganobhaban. – UNB
